Working outside the box

With the drift away from the nine to five work day and the rising costs of CBD real estate, PA’s and EA’s can use co-working spaces to facilitate a more flexible office future.

Libraries have always been a place for the public to work. A quiet refuge to knuckle-down and get the job done. However, the public library – for all it’s benefits – is not exactly the most effective place to conduct business.

Meetings, presentations and many other facets of an EA’s job require a somewhat more dynamic environment, or at least one that is not interrupted by the shushing of a stuffy librarian.

Enter co-working spaces. Referred to as community workspaces or communal offices, they are the latest development in the way business people work. As opposed to the traditional office space, rented or owned by a singular company, co-working spaces offer a place for a wide variety of professionals, freelancers and creatives to come together in a communal space to work, explore and develop.

Despite the obvious benefits of a flexible, city-based, short term working environment, research is beginning to demonstrate a more dynamic work environment is not only more capable of dealing with the changes in the way people work, but actually increases productivity and success.

Harvard Business Review has found co-working spaces foster a more positive work environment and eliminate many of the structures that exist in more traditional offices. Workers are subjected less to internal political structures and competition and are more likely to develop a strong “work persona.”

Co-working spaces are no longer a niche market for individuals looking for a space to work. They are popping up across many of the world’s major cities and have begun to cater for a larger variety of business needs. Europe and North America are certainly leaders in the field, yet a co-working space is almost certainly available wherever people have the need for one.

Co-working spaces also allow individuals and businesses to rent a array of spaces and facilities, with flexible time schedules on a variety of payment options. Depending on where you go, and how you want to work, co-working spaces can provide for many of the modern EA’s needs.

In Australia, Brisbane alone is home to several shared spaces, sporting high-speed internet connections, skype-enabled conference rooms and beer gardens for knock-off networking. Some spaces throughout the city are also visited by mentors, where business leaders come to advise and network amongst the tenants.

Flexibility and convenience are necessities in the modern corporate world. Next time your job takes you to a different city, or even if you need to get some work done outside of the pressures of a hectic office, a co-working space could be your home away from home, or rather your work away from work.